Flat back buckets have been used for many years on ranches and farms, especially in connection with horse stables. The conventional flat back bucket is a semi-circular in plan view with one side that is straight or slightly bowed inward, which defines the flat back. Conventional buckets are typically tapered, having a smaller diameter at the bottom and larger diameter at the top. The top includes a rim channel Conventional buckets also have a bail which is attached to a pair of U-shaped mounts secured to the bucket rim channel along a centerline of the bucket parallel to the flat back.
One problem with prior art flat back buckets is that the buckets are sold without lids. Without lids, it is not feasible to store water or feed in the buckets due to the risk of contamination and/or rodent or insect infestation. Further, without lids, it is not possible to stack buckets that contain water or feed.
Attempts have been made provide lids for flat back buckets, but have not been entirely satisfactory. One known attempt is a soft fabric cover having a pair of slits for receiving the U-shaped mounts and bail. Fabric covers are not entirely satisfactory because they cannot support the weight of another bucket and provide only limited protection for rodents, insects and debris. Another attempt to provide a lid for flat back bucket was to change the bucket design, namely mounting the bail on the side of the bucket instead of the rim channel Thereby the rim channel was free of the bail mount so that a conventional plastic cover could be secured to the rim channel. This later design although somewhat successful, does not solve the problem of providing a lid for conventional flat back buckets with a bail mount on the rim channel.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cover for a flat back bucket that increases the usefulness of standard buckets.